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| By Danielle Paine Reminder Assistant Editor EAST LONGMEADOW - Town residents who have children in public school, families who attend September's Caribbean Festival or fellow members of the Chamber of Commerce, may have reason to thank Chris Graziano. Recently, the East Longmeadow/Longmeadow Chamber of Commerce showed the entire town's appreciation for the owner of Graziano Gardens by honoring him with their Distinguished Citizen of the Year Award. "I chose him because he was pretty much a one man show and raised over $18,000 for the schools," President of the chamber, Dawn Starks said. "Whenever you call him to make either a monetary donation or a physical donation, he's there." The award has been a yearly honor which the chamber bestows upon a local resident who has given exemplary service to the towns and the Chamber of Commerce. Stark described Graziano as a "fixture in the community" for all that he contributes to the local schools, rotary clubs and the Norcross House restoration project. "He is really inspirational and very driven and determined," Stark said. "If he hears a 'no,' he can figure out a way around the 'no' and that's one of the best things about him." Graziano said the award came as a complete surprise, a happy one. The founder of the September Caribbean Festival last year, Graziano credits much of the $18,000 raised for town elementary school enrichment programs to his fellow small business owners who pitched with countless donations. Their help to realize Graziano's vision of bringing reggae music to East Longmeadow in a safe, family environment had tremendous benefits for local children. "A lot of people in town really stepped up and made this work," Graziano said about the festival, which he has already begun planning for a second time this year. "You're going to go out for the day anyway and you will spend money. This was something that you could not only have fun doing, but it gave back to the schools, a win-win situation." Member of the Chamber of Commerce for 20 years, Graziano, described the group as a good organization for businesses. Along with the chamber's honor, Graziano received a plaque from the school department for his charitable deeds. "If no one does anything, than nothing is going to happen. That's what I say," Graziano said. |